One of the nicest people I have met recently, or at least when I photographed him a month ago, is Johnny Long. He has a job which I have never encountered in my many years of traveling about -- he is a professional hacker, a paid researcher who infiltrates systems to improve their security. That framework resides within his faith as a Christian. Thus he started hackersforcharity.com.

"SUNDAY STORY ... POSSIBLE CENTERPIECE ... WE NEED SHOTS OF HIM AT HOME, WITH COMPUTER, HIS WIFE." Not the best to present information -- important story or not, I try to make photographs worthy of being the lead element of the story on the page. Also, it is best to just get the gist of the story and what it is about and why it is being done.

But another "guy and his computer" photograph? As lead? Yikes-o-rama.

So while driving to his home the idea hit me to use gels, something stark and brooding, like deep blue, to symbolize "technical" and "hacker." Red, as evil and menacing, might convey something he is not. Yellow, or straw, representing goodness, as if "the light" is shining on him.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 85mm f/1.8, 1/50th sec. @ f/3.5, ISO 100, 2 Nikon SB-800 flashes off camera)

The hardest part, other than finding his home, was figuring out how to balance the flash settings with the computer screen. The information on the screen did not have to be in focus or any value as its only purpose was to show it is a computer.

The shutter speed had to be low enough to allow the ambient glow of the screen to be legible. If I used a shutter of 1/250th second, the predicated speed of the camera, it would have been black. 

The Nikon SB-800s were on stands to either side and fired using Pocket Wizard remotes. Each was zoomed to 105mm. I wanted some of the blue to fall on the screen but wanted the yellow to stay confined. Therefor a black-foil snoot on the yellow-gelled unit contained any stray light.    

Continue reading "Lighting the hacker" »

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Announcements and news conferences. They are the same thing 90 percent of the time: a person at a podium. Is it important? Sometimes. Is it visual? Almost never.

Twice last week and yesterday I had the great fortune to photograph Gov. Martin O'Malley as he made pronouncements and announcements. Are they important? Yes. Is it really necessary to repeatedly show the readers O'Malley at a podium for the umpteenth time? I'd have to say no.

This idea is formulated after discussing this issue with some of the most respected people in the industry. But I have a job to do, and I must try to give an interesting visual expression of the event. To find the not-so-obvious, unconventional view charged with impact.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 165mm, 1/350th @ f/4, ISO 250)

The sign gives an institutional look to the image. The varied windows in differing conditions show disrepair. The people behind the door give evidence something his happening in front of them, outside, hinted at by the out-of-focus, yet recognizable, O'Malley.

This image comes from the presser announcing the planned closing of the Rosewood Center. It is an institution, established in 1888, for the disabled.

The photograph says a lot more than the more literal view of the proceedings.

  (Nikon D2X, Tokina 12-24mm f/4 @ 12mm, 1/160th @ f/5, ISO 200)

The more expressive image draws the reader in, keeps them interested and forces more concentration. It can entice a more curious response and cause pause. This makes the viewer more likely to read the story.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Ho. Ho. Ho.  

All I asked Santa for was either hair or a D3.

Thought I had it covered on this day. 

Woke up to neither.

A major award, like a leg lamp, would have done as well.

Maybe for Festivus. 

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 85mm f/1.8, 1/60th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 400) 

The story is sad to start with. In May 1968, a young Baltimore man, drafted into the Army, is killed on the battlefield in Vietnam. His remains were never found, and in 1977 the father has him declared dead. Finally, his remains are recovered and identified by dogtags, some damaged documents and a DNA test. Soon he will be coming home.

Reporter Brent Jones and I met two of his sisters, Sonya and Karen, for a story on Maurice Henry Moore and the impact of his being found and the closure it will bring. As we gathered around a conference table and started to talk, Jones' recorder on the table and my gear in a chair next to me, Sonya rooted into a stuffed three-ring binder and pulled out a crisply laminated photo.

A few moments before I adjusted my camera for the exposure in the evenly illuminated room, balancing for the fluorescents, and changed to the 85mm lens. It only lasted briefly, but Sonya held up the photo, looking at the back as if he was present, and put it on the table. Instinctually I focused and pressed the shutter, subconsciously deciding to focus on the photograph and the slim, uniformed man.

Two exposures were it; that's all I had of the moment. With the digital camera and screen on back I was able to quickly know whether or not the moment was usable. But not until the editing process back at the paper's office, seeing the image at size on the screen, was I able to see the strength of the image.

The sisters were extremely nice and open about what happened to their family and the havoc that ensued after their loss. Thoughts of the families affected by the current war, whether by a death or a one of the returning wounded, overwhelmed me. It struck home even more as I read the massive amount of information packed into the blue binder, much of it documenting in minute and painstaking detail, of the battle and the efforts by the government to find what happened to this young man once covered in the soil of Ngok Tavak, but now returned to Maryland, resting in earth and the minds of his surviving family. All are at rest.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/1600th sec. @ f/4, ISO 320)

The football was not the best of the day. The weather was nearly perfect. And within this dichotomy I came to realize I love the Nikon 500mm f/4. It is a great lens and sharper than anything I can remember using -- past or present.

The light in the stadium was very good for much of the game. The omnipresent Southern California sun disappeared, at times, behind the hazy clouds. Sometimes it stayed hidden for longer periods. Mostly it stayed out.

As the game lengthened so did the sun-dial shadows thrown by the lights and the columns supporting them. The dark shapes slowly edged their way onto the field, the fuzzy penumbra reaching out to the players, embracing them at times but loosing grip and allowing the sun to wash across them again. Thus was the case when Willis McGahee was upended during a short run.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/1000th sec. @ f/4, ISO 200)

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/2000th sec. @ f/4, ISO 250)

The only apparent problem is the focal length is a little long for many situations. During the next daylight game when I plan on using this lens, it would probably be best to also bring a 300mm of some sort. The difference between the 500mm and 200mm focal lengths was too great for some instances. Not that I do not like the challenge, bus as is my wont, I shoot too tight too often. "Tight is Right" may be the personal motto stamped on my forehead, but it can be the instant kiss of death if the action alters quickly and unpredictably.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/800th sec. @ f/4, ISO 800)

One of the oldest dictums I have heard throughout my career, older even than "Tight is Right," is to stay ready even after the action has ended. That is when emotion can boil through the surface and erupt. This is what happened late in the game, as all hope faded for the Ravens, after a punt. Gary Stills and Marques Harris started trading blows as they grappled as the play ended. The referees separated the two, with the help of a couple of players. Surprisingly neither was flagged.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/800th sec. @ f/4, ISO 800)

The action on the field turned for the worse in the second half as the lines crumbled and the Chargers defense slammed quarterback Kyle Boller many times. One of the more brutal happened deep in Ravens territory. Boller took a blow to the face after losing his helmet. He seemed to be dazed as he stayed on the ground for a few moments reaching for his face. After getting to his feet he still appeared to be reeling from the hard hit -- one of many he took that day.

The team did not emote one way or the other after the game. The expected dejection did not materiaize at any time. The photos of Boller down and Stills swinging had to be the visual representation of the defeat. Not the best way to end the day, but a must considering the lack of feeling after the fifth-straight loss for the team.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/1250th sec. @ f/4, ISO 320) 

The return to work, after the dazed tour of duty in Annapolis at the State House, was not bad at all. What could be better than San Diego in November? Unfortunately the game did not match the beautiful weather in the realm of perfection. The Chargers put the hammer to the Ravens in a 32-14 slop fest.

There will be a longer post for tomorrow, but for now the play that changed the mood and tempo of the contest: Kyle Boller being sacked by Shawne Merriman and fumbling the ball. This led to a Charger scoring tirade in the second quarter.

Fellow photographer Karl Merton Ferron positioned himself on the opposite end of the field, and I photographed from the side of the field with the sun to my back. This was necessitated by my choice of lens; the Nikon 500mm f/4. It is the same lens I used for part of training camp back in July.

In previous games, Cincinnati and Buffalo, a Nikon 400mm f/2.8 was the lens of choice. But, for some reason, I never really felt comfortable with it either time and not entirely happy with my results ... thus the switch to the beloved, razor sharp Nikon 500mm f/4.

 More to come on the Ravens debacle tomorrow.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The day started at 9 a.m. in Annapolis Thursday and did not end until 1:00 a.m. Friday when I pulled up to my Towson home. It was a long day in the Senate as they debated and voted on two of four bills before them in the special session. It was hard on the senators, their staff and everyone else in the Maryland State House.

For some of the Republicans, like Sen. Nancy Jacobs, Republican from Cecil and Harford Counties, it was a hair-pulling time. The amendments and debate were not necessarily going the way she and some of the members wanted them to go. For me, the light in the Senate Chamber became even more of an issue as the fill from the skylight vanished as night took over from the daylight.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 80-200mm lens @ 200mm, 1/40th @ f/2.8, ISO 1600)  

For some of the senators, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and most of the Democrats, it was a victorious day as it appeared all would go their way. After the vote to resume in the morning, I stayed behind, roaming the halls looking for some sort of celebration. To this point I had little to show the partial victory for slots supporters.

Spotting the governor's legislative adviser, Joseph Bryce, I followed him to the hall behind the chamber as he shook hands with various senators. He went into the cloak room, and I decided to stay with Baltimore City Senators Catherine E. Pugh and Nathaniel J. McFadden. The senate president left the chamber, joked some with the two and then gave a big hug to Pugh.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 17-55mm lens @ 17mm, 1/25th @ f/2.8, ISO 1600) 

Bingo.

From here I ran to our bureau on the ground floor to transmit, getting my picture in by 11:35 p.m., hoping it might be the lead on the front page. "This is huge" I thought, getting a celebratory moment out of the almost zombie-like proceedings of the day. "Has to make the front." It became apparent this was not the case as I looked at my paper, nicely placed on my home's walkway, and moved to the story's jump page.  

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

On closer inspection, there is daylight coming into the Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House. There are some large floodlights of some unknown sort on two edges; the glare from four of them are visible on the far side. The three lights from the second-floor balconies cause some really strange color-balance issues for those illuminated nearby and the marble underneath. The two on the outside appear to be incandescent; while the center is apparently low-pressure sodium. Top level are the same as the lower middle light (The above photo is underexposed to keep some detail in the glass ceiling.)

The skylight is good on the edges of the floor, but those in the center have more shadows, the fill from the light bounding off the walls negligible. The tops of heads, sans hair and of lighter color especially, cause highlight trouble.

To summarize: It is a strange brew of light with strange casts and contrasts. It is very difficult to correct in-camera, either by setting color temperature or taking a white balance.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Senate Chamber in the Maryland State House is, at best, a challenge. It is a deep, dim room with, I estimate, four different types of light from varied sources bouncing from the marble walls. The key illumination comes from three stories (I guess) high above through a colored-glass false ceiling. It is not even, it is not bright, and the shadows are where faces disappear and expressions are lost, never to be seen again.

The average exposure bounces around 1/60th second with the lens aperture set at f/2.8. The ISO on the D2X is set to H 1, which is equivalent to an ISO of 1600. Why they do not list it as 1600 is beyond me, but its effect, as far as I am concerned, is the same.

The photographers and videographers are limited to the front of the chamber, either to the left or right of Senate President's rostrum and the desks of the clerks, assistants and secretaries. There is not a lot of room for maneuvering in any circumstance, but adding six-or-more video cameras on sticks and it gets tricky. As in most cases, my movements are not hindered except by the all-important monopod.

There are two balconies above the floor, in front and back, which offer another vantage point. They can be good, to a point, but there is no leaning over the ledge. "They get upset," said the very nice Maryland state trooper as I moved in for the first time.  

This is my favorite from yesterday. It is not my intention to make anyone look bad, unless it is in keeping with the tone and tenor of the situation. As Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R) kept asking questions about the bill being read on the floor, Sen. James Brochin (D) let escape a yawn. Before and after this photograph, it was evident some people were getting weary from the long-winded questioning.

The moment also gives notice the session is a very harried, yet time-consuming, process that will challenge even the most diligent listeners, bargainers and tacticians alike. Many things are going on at once on the floor, and rarely is someone not speaking. Senators are conferring on the phone or in person to the side. Assistants are scurrying in and out shuffling papers. It is a frenetic place.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Covering the General Assembly's special session can be lightly tedious at times, standing in badly lit rooms as people sit in chairs and drone (some but not all) on about some amendment or proposal, or meaningfully listen, or earnestly ask questions. It is hard work looking for little subtleties and persistently keeping an eye open for anything remotely interesting.

Many years ago, while in college, if my memory serves me correctly, I happened upon a coffee-table photo (an early strike in what has now become a lip-chomping obsession) in a used-books store. David Douglas Duncan's Self-Portrait USA. caught my attention for the two party symbols on the front which resembled the heads of two ceramic whiskey decanters, dressed as clowns with styrofoam hats, that sat on a bookshelf in my childhood bedroom for many years. The store name and location escape me, but somehow I came upon a second copy a few years later and gave it to one of my best friends from high school. We worked together on the school paper and yearbook, and he also is a photojournalist.

Duncan covered the 1968 party conventions (ironically the same year as the decanters) and made the book. The reproduction is a little dated but of high quality. The words are all Duncan, a little over the top with such phrase turns as "Secret Service agent: laser-beam eyes boring holes through everybody with a single glance..." but still entertaining. For some reason, the political poetry of many boring situations, often relying upon extreme closeups capturing slight facial gesticulation to convey his message. (Tight is right!)

The book is a foundation for much of my coverage, even though I have not turned its pages in a decade or more — the book resides somewhere in the Mississippi house of my mother and her husband. But its latent strength still holds me, and I can remember many of the pages and the images in my mind.

(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, 1/80th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600) 

(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, 1/60th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600)

(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm, 1/80th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600)<>

(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, 1/60th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600)

It is not the most exciting work, and it is a mental hammer, constantly striking as my laser-beam eyes constantly survey the scene. It is fulfilling in some way. More will come as I have time.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The wife and I walked the dogs during the beautiful evening Monday. The beaten cell phone in my pocket decided to ring near the end of the quick jaunt. The call was to inform me I'd spend the better part of the next two weeks traveling Annapolis way to cover the General Assembly Special Session — something I had never done.

The room in which the assembly meets when in joint session is dark and crowded; this is what I discovered once I found the right place. It is dismally dark. And the table at which presenters to the session sit is cloaked in more darkness than the rest of the room.

In general, the situation does not present a lot of great photo opportunities. Legislators sitting and listening to testimony is not much different than people sitting around the office. Therefore the photographer has to look for subtle bits of gesture and posture to convey emotion and mood. If it happens to be one of the bigger names in the room, the better.

(NIKON D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8, 1/80th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600)

The caption reads: Michael Busch (far right) speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Tuesday morning during a fiscal briefing by the Department of Legislative Services.

Busch seemed uncomfortable during most of the briefing. Whether it was due to what was being said I do not know, but it works for me.

I will try to share more from Annapolis and update when possible.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 @ 145mm, 1/80th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600) 

The UniSun Gospel Celebration, earlier this month, was neat to cover. Last year's inaugural event was fun to attend, and I enjoyed it. I did not look as forward to the second, having done it previously, but I enjoy the music and the positive atmosphere.

Each performance is the virtually the same: People on stage, usually on risers, singing with someone leading. The picture possibilities are dependent upon the choirs' enthusiasm or limited choreography. This leaves me searching to make and create different pictures, with some inherent distinction, to differentiate each performance. The Web site gallery needed many pictures, and I do not want each photograph to look like the next, each performance to not have any distinction from the others. 

Hands are always interesting to me, subconsciously influenced by the fact I am missing part of my right ringfinger, and constantly scan for pictures where they are the center of interest. This composition came together quickly, the white of the projection screen contrasting greatly with the raised arms and hands. The light was difficult throughout the show, changing quickly and filtered heavily. Almost all of the exposures were made with a wide-open aperture and 1600 ISO. The shutter speeds dipped to 1/40th and peaked at 1/80th, creating a constant challenge.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The flight to Buffalo is a short one, but that did not keep fellow staff photographer Doug Kapustin from annihilating me in electronic Scrabble. Very addicting. We left Baltimore Saturday afternoon for Sunday's 1 p.m. game. We try to fly the day before, in case there are any snags and to get acclimated if necessary. That is the same reason we usually fly back on the day after, though at times a flight back the same night is a necessity.

On game day we had breakfast in the hotel and left for the stadium around 11:00 a.m. It was a pretty easy drive, and parking, with our pass, was not too far from the stadium. Getting in was another story. The map provided with the credentials, which I picked up Thursday at the Ravens complex in Owings Mills, told us to enter through one of the gates. But instead we needed to enter through the tunnel on the other side of the stadium from the current position.

As Doug headed in that direction, with my computer bag, I turned around for parking lot 2, towing my camera suitcase with all my gear, to photograph the weekly fan story. The area in the lot staked out by Matt Phillips, his family, and friends was not too far from where we were, but doubled my distance back to the tunnel and the camera check-in.

The Bills fans were preparing to burn a Willis McGahee Bills jersey upon my arrival, a fortuitous  moment as the picture turned out rather well compared to the usual "Say Cheese" that evolves for this feature.

(Nikon D2X, Tokina 12-24mm f/4 @ 12mm , 1/320th sec. @ f/13 , ISO 250)

Back at the trailer, after checking in and getting "red vest" No. 145, Doug and I prepared for the game by setting up our computers and getting out the camera gear. My game apparatus consisted of a Nikon D2X with the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 and the  Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 on the Nikon D2Xs. In a belt pack I put the Tokina 12-24mm f/2.8 while the four spare 2BG compact flash cards and a camera battery I kept in a vest pocket. The night before leaving I completely charged the three batteries, and primarily use one camera so there was little concern for complete battery failure.

Doug let me chose the area I wanted to cover, and I chose the back-lit side, which happened to be the same side as the Ravens bench. My responsibility included one end of the field, pretty much across from Doug at the other, concentrating my position base around one corner. We did not cross paths again until after the game when we returned to the trailer.

When Terrell Suggs recorded an early sack and the defense quickly forced the Bills to punt, it appeared it might be a good day for the Ravens. That hypothesis would be proven flawed soon enough.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8 , 1/1250th sec. @ f/4 , ISO 250)

Throughout most of the game I stayed with a consistent shutter speed and aperture combination. Playing in the middle of the day and under clear skies, the light changed minimally. I only had to be aware of photographing back toward the broadly lit bench from the end zone, which was a stop or so brighter.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1250th sec. @ f/4 , ISO 250)

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1250th sec. @ f/4 , ISO 250)

After taking another punt from the Bills, Derrick Mason drifted from the huddle, his body language betraying some emotion he might rather not have had seen. Of what kind I am not exactly sure, but it seemed representative of what lay ahead for the team the rest of the afternoon.     

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250) 

The first half did not present a lot of great image opportunities. The play was not very good, and the Bills scoring with numerous field goals does not provide ample hunting. The second half would prove more fruitful, though I blew an excellent chance to make an excellent photograph.

The oft-mentioned Willis McGahee broke away from the 43-yard line on a rush to the right, heading for the sideline and goal on the opposite side of the field from my position next to the end zone on the Ravens side. The camera clicked as I pressed the shutter whenever a player came near him.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250)

McGahee kept rumbling making his way for the touchdown, and I kept pressing the shutter. Click. Click. ClickClickClick. Click. Soon he was almost directly across from me, and I pressed the shutter down to hammer the motor drive. ClickClick ... N-0-T-H-I-N-G. As this heart-stopping, iceball in the pit of the stomach pause happened, McGahee dove for the pylon, a Bills defender next to him.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250)

The referee crossed the frame in the next to last one, which I did not see, and the camera decided to track him for a split second instead of McGahee (yes, I rely on autofocus much of the time). Quickly I chimped the play, and the following surprise awaited.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250)

Arg!

Double Arg!

Sigh.

Soon things went even further downhill. For play in the red zone, the opposite field photographer, with the empty end of the field, shifts down to help with the coverage. Now down the field, close to the Ravens 20 behind the Bills offense while Doug positioned himself on the opposite side of the line, the Bills scored in short order. Ray Lewis headed for the bench. I tracked him as he came close, running toward me and the team bench, and watched as he sat down next to the water. he had a thousand-yard stare going.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/3200th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250)

Things were now desperate for the Ravens, and they were able to position themselves for another chance at a touchdown. But a fourth-down play failed, and quarterback Kyle Boller came off the field, looking somewhat resigned.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250) 

Boller had another chance at getting the Ravens in for six. He even had a chance to cross the goal line himself, trying to catch a pass from wide receiver Mark Clayton. Positioned slightly behind the line of scrimmage, it was easy to see Clayton run and take the handoff. Following him through the lens, I knew he was getting ready to throw. Quickly I pivoted and found Boller running a pass route, and was targeting him as the ball slipped through his outstretched fingertips. No good.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/3.5 , ISO 250) 

The Ravens eventually scored during the series. But things would not get better. The game ended in a 19-14 loss for the Ravens, making them 4-3 for the season.

Not able to make a really interesting photo on the field after the game ended. I went back to download images to my laptop, make an edit and prepare the selects for transmission. In the end I moved 17 images from the game, some of them twice as we experienced software problems back in Baltmore. By 7:30 and soon went to dinner. This morning we left Buffalo at 9:10. Both of us returned to the office to return to the pool the big glass we used for the game. I had to stay a little later to burn a DVD of the 3.9 GBs worth of images and processed files. Now it is time for rest.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Another gorgeous day, but not gorgeous enough for the Ravens and the fans. The 19-14 loss on the road to the Buffalo Bills takes the buzz right off. Sunday saw the return of Willis McGahee to the place where he started in the league — and disparaged in recent public comments. His every move was watched closely Sunday — and booed often.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/2500th sec. @ f/3.5, ISO 250)

With that knowledge in hand, and filling the stadium, McGahee becomes the well-known allegory for the game — and the focus of all eyes and lenses.

On the Ravens' sideline, it is my job to keep peeled for any storytelling images away from the action. Consequently McGahee is my pre-game target.

After taking the field with his teammates, the running back intimately huddled with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed as they waited to represent the team in the coin toss.

Walking off the field after the toss he is followed by a video cameraman, and more than likely every lens on the guest (Ravens) side of the field.

This photograph works as a representation of the attention McGahee had garnered the last few days, and now needed to put behind him to play the game. It might have worked, as he gained 1124 yards for the day and scored a touchdown. Look later Monday for a longer post about covering the game and making the photographs.  

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 400mm f/2.8, 1/1600th sec. @ f/4, ISO 250)

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The assignment from the desk came in to photograph Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens Thursday afternoon for a preview story. In my distant past, portraits were nightmarish, in particular when an idea never crystallized on what to do with the subject. Over the years, wearing out my nose on the grindstone, I worked to gain an acceptable hold on the art (this is not talking about the haphazard, "say cheese" grin, subject placed in one-third of the frame environmental snoozers many consider acceptable) using light, pose and facial gesture.

Setting up in a small room, I decided to use three lights: a Dyna-Lite Uni400Jrg in a softbox as the key light and two Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlights; one as a rim light and the other with a purple gel for the background. After a few test images, with my hand as the model, I was ready to go.

(Nikon D2X, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, 1/250th sec. @ f/8, ISO 100) 

Enough cannot be said for being prepared before the subject arrives. Much of the time athletes, politicos and celebrities have little patience. Other than not being there, they prefer the session to be nice and quick. 

Suggs arrived, waiting for me on the sofa, and after a little chit-chat I made another test image to make sure all was working.